Interpreting a Dictionary Entry - anderson.k12.ky.us



Etymology: The Origin of WordsBecoming Interested in the Origin of WordsWords, like facts, are difficult to remember out of context. Remembering is greatly facilitated when you have a body of information with which to associate either a word or a fact. For words, interesting origins or histories will help provide a context. For example, a hippopotamus is a "river horse," from the Greek hippos, meaning "horse," and potamos, meaning "river."Indiana is called the Hoosier state, and its people Hoosiers. Why? In the early days, the pioneers were gruff in manner; when someone knocked at the front door, a pioneer's voice would often boom, "Who's yere?"If you were offered a Hobson's choice, would you know what was meant? Thomas Hobson owned a livery stable in seventeenth-century England. He loved his horses, and to prevent any one horse from being overworked, he hired them out in turn, beginning with stall number one. Customers had to take the horses they were given. Thus Hobson's choice means no choice at all. (Pauk, p. 314)Etymology is the study of the origins of words. The English language is living and growing. Although many of our words have been part of our language for many years, new words are added all the time. Following are various ways our language is influenced.?Derived from Foreign Words - English, in many cases, has been commonly expanded by incorporating foreign words into it. Most of our language has ancient Anglo-Saxon or Latin origins. Other languages have also added to our vocabularies.?Additions through Technology & Products - Our words often reflect current interests, trends, and innovations. One of the most recent contributors to our language has been computer technology, which has created words such as bytes, monitor, and disk.Another way new words come into our language is through the development of products. Some examples include: Kleenex, Walkman, Scotch tape, Xerox, and Linoleum.?People's Names - sometimes when a person invents or introduces something, that thing becomes associated with the person's name. The person, through time, is forgotten while the name lives on in our language. Examples include:?mesmerize - F.A. Mesmer, an Austrian doctor and hypnotist.?sideburns - an American English alteration of burnsides, Ambrose E. Burnside, a Union general.?Words from Letters - The initials for the names of things may actually come to replace the names. The initials become the words that represent the thing, concept, or group. The following are examples of words that have developed from initials.?TV - TeleVision?DWI - Driving While Intoxicated?COD - Cash On Delivery?ZIP - Zone Improvement Plan?Word Histories - Some words also have interesting histories. Learning the stories behind the meanings is a good way to learn those words. The following examples will give you an idea of how history can affect language.?footman - It was once thought to bring bad luck if a person stepped on the door threshold when entering a house. Rich people hired a servant to stand at their doors. His job was to guard against a guest's stepping on the threshold. The guard became known as a footman.?hooker - A synonym for prostitute. The term became popular during the Civil War. The women involved were camp followers. General "Fighting Joe" Hooker approved their presence in order to boost the morale of his men. Page maintained by dspsweb@cuesta.edu. Last modified: 11/06/2003. Warning, this page may contain links to web pages outside of Cuesta College. Interpreting a Dictionary EntryA typical dictionary entry includes these parts:the word or phrase broken into syllables.the word or phrase with the pronunciation indicated through the use of diacritical marks - marks that indicate the vowel sounds such as a long vowel or a vowel affected by other sounds; accent marks, a mark called the schwa that tells you that the vowel is in an unaccented syllable of the word.the part or parts of speech the word functions as -for example as a noun (n.), verb (v.), adjective (adj.), or adverb (adv.).related forms of the word, such as the plural form of nouns and the past tense of verbs.the definition or definitions of the word or phrase. Generally dictionaries group the definitions according to a word's use as a noun, verb, adjective, and/or adverb.the origin, or etymology, of the word or words, such as from the Latin, Old French, Middle English, Hebrew, the name of a person. Some dictionaries use the symbol < to mean "came from." For example, the origin of the word flank is given as "<OldFrench flanc<Germanic."This tells us that flank came from the Old French word fanc. The French word in turn came from the German language. Some dictionaries use abbreviations to tell you where the item came from: OE for Old English, L for Latin, and so forth.Interpret a dictionary entry using the following steps:Pronounce the word in syllables using the diacritical marks as a guide.Note the part or parts of speech of the word and any related words.Read the definitions.Check the etymological reference to see if you can find remnants of the meaning of the originating word in the meaning of the entry.Use the word in a sentence that has a clue in it as to the meaning of the word. (Hennings, p. 5)?? Page maintained by dspsweb@cuesta.edu. Last modified: . Warning, this page may contain links to web pages outside of Cuesta College. Interpreting a Dictionary EntryA typical dictionary entry includes these parts:the word or phrase broken into syllables.the word or phrase with the pronunciation indicated through the use of diacritical marks - marks that indicate the vowel sounds such as a long vowel or a vowel affected by other sounds; accent marks, a mark called the schwa that tells you that the vowel is in an unaccented syllable of the word.the part or parts of speech the word functions as -for example as a noun (n.), verb (v.), adjective (adj.), or adverb (adv.).related forms of the word, such as the plural form of nouns and the past tense of verbs.the definition or definitions of the word or phrase. Generally dictionaries group the definitions according to a word's use as a noun, verb, adjective, and/or adverb.the origin, or etymology, of the word or words, such as from the Latin, Old French, Middle English, Hebrew, the name of a person. Some dictionaries use the symbol < to mean "came from." For example, the origin of the word flank is given as "<OldFrench flanc<Germanic."This tells us that flank came from the Old French word fanc. The French word in turn came from the German language. Some dictionaries use abbreviations to tell you where the item came from: OE for Old English, L for Latin, and so forth.Interpret a dictionary entry using the following steps:Pronounce the word in syllables using the diacritical marks as a guide.Note the part or parts of speech of the word and any related words.Read the definitions.Check the etymological reference to see if you can find remnants of the meaning of the originating word in the meaning of the entry.Use the word in a sentence that has a clue in it as to the meaning of the word. (Hennings, p. 5)?Page maintained by dspsweb@cuesta.edu. Last modified: . Warning, this page may contain links to web pages outside of Cuesta College. Structural AnalysisThe Greeks and Romans came up with a system for creating words by putting together smaller word parts. They used three types of word parts: prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Pre means "before," and so it makes sense that a prefix comes before the main part of a word. Suf means "after," and so a suffix comes at the end of a word. A root word is the main part of a word, and usually comes in the middle. Many English words are composed of at least one root, and many have one or more prefixes and suffixes.Word parts contribute to the total meaning of a word. Each part has its own meaning. The meaning of an unknown word often is a combination of its parts. Splitting words into parts to discover the meaning of unknown words is called structural analysis.Parts of words provide the essential meanings. Studying the parts of words can tell you many things. The base of a word gives you an overall meaning for the unknown word. Affixes affect the base's meaning. Some affixes provide general meanings. Others identify the subject area of the unknown word. Affixes also help determine the part of speech of the unknown word.Recognizing Word Roots and PrefixesWhile using the dictionary is an excellent way to increase your vocabulary one word at a time, if you would like to learn whole clusters of words in one stroke, you should get to know the most common roots and prefixes in English.It has been estimated that 60 percent of the English words in common use are made up partly or entirely of prefixes or roots derived from Latin and Greek. The value of learning prefixes and roots is that they illustrate the way much of our language is constructed. Once learned, they can help you recognize and understand many words without resorting to a dictionary. With one well-understood root word as the center, an entire "constellation" of words can be built up.Although knowing the meanings of prefixes and roots can unlock the meanings of unfamiliar words, this knowledge should supplement, not replace, your dictionary use. Over the centuries, many prefixes have changed in both meaning and spelling. While some prefixes have a single and fairly invariant meaning, most prefixes have more than one meaning each.For example, the prefix de- means "of' or "from"; yet the dictionary lists four different meanings for it. So learn as many of the common prefixes and roots as you can, but learn them for better and more precise understanding of words you already know and words that you have yet to look up in the dictionary. When you go to the dictionary, make sure that you spend some time on the prefixes and roots that make up each word. You will soon become convinced that a word is not an assemblage of letters put together like an anagram, but the true and natural outcome of. evolution. (Pauk, p. 310)?Page maintained by dspsweb@cuesta.edu. Last modified: . Warning, this page may contain links to web pages outside of Cuesta College. Common Word RootsRootMeaningExampleDefinitionagrifieldagronomyfield-crop production and soil managementanthropomananthropologythe study of manastrostarastronautone who travels in interplanetary spacebiolifebiologythe study of lifecardioheartcardiacpertaining to the heartcedegoprecedeto go beforechromocolorchromatologythe science of colorsdemospeopledemocracygovernment by the peopledermaskinepidermisthe outer layer of skindynapowerdynamiccharacterized by power and energygeoearthgeologythe study of the earthheliosunheliotropeany plant that turns toward the sunhydrowaterhydroponicsgrowing of plants in water reinforced with nutrientshypnosleephypnosisa state of sleep induced by suggestionjectthrowejectto throw outmagnigreat, bigmagnifyto enlarge, to make biggerman(u)handmanuscriptwritten by handmonoonemonoplaneairplane with one wingorthostraightorthodoxright, true, straight opinionpodfootpseudopodfalse footpsychomindpsychologystudy of the mind in any of its aspectspyrofirepyrometeran instrument for measuring temperaturesscriptwritemanuscripthand writtenterraearthterracea raised platform of earththermoheatthermometerinstrument for measuring heatzooanimalzoologythe study of animalsCommon Prefixesante-beforeantebellumbefore the waranti-againstantifreezeliquid used to guard against freezingauto-selfautomaticself-acting or self-regulatingbene-goodbenefitan act of kindness; a giftcircum-aroundcircumscribeto draw a line around; to encirclecontra-againstcontradictto speak againstde-reverse, removedefoliateremove the leaves from a treedis-apartdislocateto unlodgedys-baddysfunctionalnot functioningecto-outsideectoparasiteparasite living on the exterior of animalsendo-withinendogamymarriage within the tribeex-out excavateto dig outequi-equalequidistantequal distanceextra-beyondextraterrestrialbeyond the earthhyper-overhypertensionhigh blood pressurehypo-underhypotensionlow blood pressurein-ininterimin betweeninter-betweenintervenecome betweenintra-withinintramuralwithin bounds of a schoolintro-in, intointrospectto look within, as one's own mindmacro-largemacroscopiclarge enough to be observed by the naked eyemal-badmaladjustedbadly adjustedmicro-smallmicroscopicso small that one needs a microscope to observemulti-manymultimillionaireone having two or more million dollarsneo-newneolithicnew stone agenon-notnonconformistone who does not conformpan-allpantheona temple dedicated to all godspoly-manypolygonalhaving many sidespost-afterpostgraduateafter graduatingpre-beforeprecedeto go beforepro-forproponenta supporterproto-firstprototypefirst or original modelpseudo-falsepseudonymfalse name; esp., an author's pen-namere-, red-back againrejuvenateto make youngre-, red-togetherreconnectto put together againretro-backwardretrospecta looking back on thingssemi-halfsemicirclehalf a circlesub-undersubmergeto put under watersuper-abovesuperfineextra finetele-fartelescopeseeing or viewing afartrans-acrosstransalpineacross the AlpsNumber prefixesuni- onetetra- fouroct- eightmono- onequint- fivenov- ninebi- twopent- fivedec- tenduo- twosex- sixlat- sidedi- twohex- sixped- foottri- threesept- sevenpod- footquad- fourhept- seven?Math & Science Affixes and RootsRoot or AffixExampleaqua (water)aquariumhydro (water)hydroplanehemi (half)hemispheresemi (half)semicircleequi (equal)equivalenttele (far off)telescopemicro (small)microfilmonomy (science of)astronomyology (study of)geologyuni (one)universebi (two)bicycletri (three)triangleocta (eight)octagondec (ten)decadecenti (hundred)centimetermilli (thousand)millimeterbio (life)biologyastro (star)astronautthermo (heat)thermodynamicmeter (measure)diameterped (foot)pedestrianpod (foot)tripodPrefixes that mean "no": a- de- dis-, in- non- un-, contraExamples: disqualify, nondescript, unscrupulous, contradict, inadvertentPrefixMeaningExamplesa-, an-without, notasexual, atypical, amoral, anarchyde-reverse action, awaydefrost, demystify, desensitize, deductdis-, dif-, di-not, apartdissatisfied, disorganized, different, divertin-, il-, it-, im-notinappropriate, invisible, illegal, impossiblenon-notnonproductive, nonessential, nonsenseun-notunlikely, unnoticeable, unreliablecontra-, counter-againstcontrary, contradict, counterproductivePrefixes that indicate "when," "where," or "more": pre-, post-, ante-, inter-, infra-, traps-, sub-, circum-, ultraExamples: premature, postscript, anteroom, intervene, transformationPrefixMeaningExamplespre-, pro-beforepre-dinner,? preliminary,? previous,? prologuepost-afterpostwar,? postoperative,? postponeante-beforeantecedent,? antechamberinter-between, amonginterstate,? intercept,? interfereintra-withinintramural,? intrastate,? intravenoustrans-acrosstranscontinental,? transparent,? transactionsub-undersubmarine,? submerge,? subjugatecircum-aroundcircumnavigate,? circumferenceultra-beyond, on the far side of, excessiveultrasonic,? ultraviolet,? ultraconservative?Page maintained by dspsweb@cuesta.edu. Last modified: . Warning, this page may contain links to web pages outside of Cuesta College. Word RelationshipsSynonyms, Antonyms, Homonyms, AnalogiesIn some ways words are like families. Just as there are different relationships among members of the same family, there are different relationships among words. Picture your own family. You probably have relatives who like to do the same things you do. But they may look nothing like you. You may have relatives who are from another city. They might have unusual accents and all "sound alike." There are probably still others who are rebels. They always want the opposite of what everyone else in the family wants.There are similar relationships between words. Words that mean the same thing but look different are called synonyms. Their meanings are very similar (e.g., pretty/cute). An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word (e.g., pretty/ugly). A homonym is a word that sounds like another word but has a different meaning (e.g., there/their).Because these terms are often confused, here is an easy way to keep them straight.Heard alikeSame meaningAn oppositeOYNMNTOOONNNYYYMMMWords are related in many other ways as well. When thinking about the relationship between two words, you must examine those words for ways in which they are different, alike, or related to each other.Understanding how words fit together helps you expand and network frameworks. As an active reader, this skill enables you to analyze and synthesize information. Such knowledge is useful in building your vocabulary. This, in turn, gives you more skill in using the context (see figure below).?Page maintained by dspsweb@cuesta.edu. Last modified: . Warning, this page may contain links to web pages outside of Cuesta College. Using Word RelationshipsMany kinds of word relationships are possible. When looking at relationships the order of the words is important. Changing the order changes the relationship. In word relationships, the colon (:) is an abbreviation of the phrase "is to." For example, instead of "white is to black," "white: black" is written. Like all abbreviations, this one saves space and time. Again, remember that there are countless kinds of relationships that can be mon Word RelationshipsRelationshipDefinitionExamplesSynonymTwo words have the same or nearly the same meaningdirty : nastyworn: usedcalm: peacefulAntonymOne word means the opposite of anotherhot: coldlate: earlynew : oldHomonymTwo words sound alikeblue: blewlie: lyehere: hearPart to wholeA piece or portion of something is related to the total objecttoe: footsole: shoeleaf : plantwall: roomWhole to partThe whole is related to one of its partstree : trunkhouse: roomcoat: sleeveAge or sizeAn animate (living) or inanimate (nonliving) object is related to a younger or older object of the same typefawn: deerfreshman: seniorcalf: cowmother: childRhymeAlthough items do not begin with the same sound/letter, the ending sounds are the samegoat: boattrouble: bubbleslow : toelight: kitePerson to locationA person is related to the place with which he is associated sailor : shipcriminal : jailPresident: White HouseObject to useSomething is related to its functionoven: bakesoap: cleanbroom: sweepSource to objectThe place from which an item is taken and the item are comparedpound: stray dogbakery : cookiesmind: thought?Page maintained by dspsweb@cuesta.edu. Last modified: . Warning, this page may contain links to web pages outside of Cuesta College. AnalogiesAn analogy is an implied (unstated) relationship between two pairs of objects. Because the relationship is implied, the first thing you must decide is what kind of relationship exists between each pair (i.e., synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, part-to-whole, time, place, age, etc.). This relationship can be any of the associations you have already studied.An analogy deals with the relationship between two pairs of words. The two pairs are usually dissimilar (not the same), although the relationships between each pair are similar. Because analogies require you to identify similar relationships between dissimilar objects, understanding analogies is one of the highest levels of thinking.Analogies are usually written in one of two forms:Up is to down as fast is to sloworUp : Down :: Fast : SlowThe colon (:) in the second example means "is to." The pair of colons (::) means "as."?Page maintained by dspsweb@cuesta.edu. Last modified: . Warning, this page may contain links to web pages outside of Cuesta College. ................
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